SPEAKING IN GUNS: FUTURE PLANS=Overall Design Priorities=
Give the Player a diverse and robust control scheme
Allow the Player to create a preferred style
How far the Reticle is from the Ship has a significant effect on aim; the distance is not fixed and is determined by the Player
=Unlockable System vs Upgradeable System=
A final version of the game would feature 'Unlockable' items, like new ships or weapons
Upgrading requires complex long-term planning, because there is a lot to balance and compensate for; my time would be better spent on other parts of the project
Upgrade decisions by the player will affect gameplay and combat has to be designed around it
Can more easily control the parameters of unlockables, like when they appear and how powerful they are; adding a new ship w/ all the factors preset is more appealing than giving the player a single ship w/ a large upgrade tree
=Encouraging Player Movement=
Enemy movement pattern and attack style should force the Player to move
Player can choose to dodge frequently or seek safe zones that lasts longer; could include a 'bonus points' system to incentivize dodging shots in later version
Enemies w/ animation clips or w/ homing-style attack patterns require the player to adjust
Enemies that travel in a straight line create static dead zones, enemies w/ movement create dynamic dead zones
Using static patterns and then introducing dynamic patterns into them should create satisfying combat encounters
Not trying for true 'bullet hell' style combat, but a variation of it; occasionally dial up the number of shots, but also have sparser waves that are still deadly
=Top-Scrolling Levels in 16:9 Aspect Ratio=
Older top-down games had tall, narrow corridors; new Ratio is short and wide
What impact does this have on Enemy types and behaviors?
Portrait Mode levels possible?Not every player has a screen that rotates into portrait mode
Should the wide ratio be scrapped and instead crop the screen to make a narrow corridor?
=Are Sound F/X Worthwhile?=
If Player and Enemy shots make noise, it would create an unpleasant wall of noise
Could those Sound F/X have a more musical tone to them, instead of a mechanical or abrasive sound?
Older games seem to mostly have SFX for everything; newer games have a reduced emphasis on Player/Enemy Fire and Explosions
Have a batch of Sound F/X and would be willing to include them as a test in a future version
=Hybrid Levels=
Set of levels that switch between the 3 game modes
Like: Side section is combat oriented w/ lots of enemy waves, player fights way into enemy facility; Top section is set inside facility and based around avoiding environmenttal hazards w/ light combat; the final section is a sandbox-style Boss fight
Would it be a gimmick?Would it satisfy anyone?If someone is a fan of one type, don't they usually like the other types too?
Is it redundant?